Game Spotlight 

Monday, Nov 10

Pistons squeak out an OT victory against Washington

Monday’s matchup was a one-on-one scoring shootout between C.J. McCollum of the Washington Wizards and Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons. Both players scored 40 points, but McCollum did so with a 14/25 shot ratio, while Cunningham hit a 14/45 shot ratio, completely blowing out numbers with the amount of shots he took, scoring 46 points. The deciding factor, though, was the number of shots in the end. Washington gave Detroit many opportunities, which led to Detroit’s overtime victory, where they capped off Washington in the OT effort, to advance Cade’s Pistons to 9-2

Final(OT): DET 137 – 135 WAS

Wednesday, Nov 12

Wemby vs. Curry, Curry 1 Wemby 0

In the first half of this game, the Spurs almost covered up, locking the Warriors down to having a game-high 16-point deficit in the 2nd quarter. But Golden State came out of the gate in the second half, ready to fight, and delivered a powerful 3rd-quarter performance into the 4th, keeping the game away from the Spurs until the very end. Stats-wise, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama (31/15/10) and Stephone Castle (23/10/10) both scored triple-doubles to help San Antonio stay in the game. But Curry and Jimmy Butler did their job as the Warriors 1 and 2, with Butler’s 28 points on 58.3% fg and Curry’s 46 points on 52% fg (very much aided by the amount of calls they were getting), leading the Warriors to victory.

Final: GSW 125 – 120 SAS

Sunday Nov 16

A near 300-point thriller in Utah

This game was a textbook shootout. Both teams were neck and neck with each other throughout the game, with the Jazz pulling out in the end. For the Bulls, Josh Giddey went off with a 26-point triple-double, and Coby White had 27 points, as a large team effort mainly kept the Bulls close. For the Jazz, 2 of their stars had insane games. Keyonte George had 33 points, and star Lauri Markkanen scored a 47-point game. Aside, fifth overall pick, Ace Bailey, also came out for a couple of minutes, and had 6 turnovers in his nominal time in the game. The Jazz, with these efforts, locked up and exiled the Bulls to their 5th straight loss after a 6-1 start.

Final(2OT): UTA 150 – 147 CHI

Player/Team Storylines

Same old Bulls?

While we might have thought the Bulls were gonna transcend their middling ways after a hot start, they have frozen up and reset back to play-in level. While Josh Giddey has still had an all-star caliber season so far, his team just does not give him, and even Coby White, who has returned this week, enough help to actually sustain wins and stay above .500. The Bulls do not have many good older players, and have not found much of an identity yet, but they do have a good future ahead of them, as Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and many great young players will keep growing.

Durant is exactly what Houston needed

As the Rockets improve to 9-3, Durant still hasn’t lost any speed. Even on the Suns, his longevity shines through his consistently great offensive and defensive, and all-around play, including the game-winning dagger Sunday against the Magic. The knowledge of an older player and the effort he brings to his game definitely support Houston’s young core, as the Rockets look to defeat the West’s gauntlet in the future. 

Major Game Predictions (Nov 10 – 17):

Monday: Knicks @ Clippers

Knicks win

Tuesday: Pistons @ Hawks

Hawks win

Wednesday: Rockets @ Cavaliers

Rockets win

Thursday: Hawks @ Spurs 

Spurs win

Friday: Heat @ Bulls

Heat win

Saturday: Pistons @ Bucks

Pistons win

Sunday: Heat @ 76ers

76ers win